I reference “us” when talking about this campaign because this campaign is about us- you and me. It is about all of Michigan. I want to be your voice and to represent the future of Michigan for us.

We are not taking you or this election for granted, and we continue to push towards election day.

I want to earn your vote- please vote Margaret O’Brien on November 2nd.

“In the 61st House district, which covers the cities of Portage and Parchment, townships of Alamo, Oshtemo, Texas and Prairie Ronde, and part of Kalamazoo Township, we choose Margaret O’Brien, of Portage.

O’Brien, 36, is a Realtor and vice chairwoman of the Republican Party in Kalamazoo County, but it is her experience as a Portage city councilwoman that makes her the best choice. We like her pragmatic approach, her common sense and her willingness to get beyond partisanship to solve problems.”

I appreciate the recognition and am ready to work with you to reinvent our state!

We will keep knocking on doors until election day. Please join us- it is fun and great exercise.

We started our day at the MI-COPS Kazoo Footchase. I was a “wanted suspect” ini the walking portion for impersonating a politician. How fun!

We then knocked on doors- yes, in the rain. My volunteers were amazing, and we were able to spread our message of jobs being priority number one.

This day was hectic as our daughter had a swim meet and our son had a soccer game. Many people ask me how we do it. It is a family effort. The kids understand that we cannot attend all of their events but we make every attempt to get there. We have also been blessed by many families who have given our kids rides to their events and they make sure our kids are cared for. A special thank you to the Stolls, Mendozas and Stinchcombs!

We ended our day at CommUniversity and a great WMU win! Go Broncos!

We are picking up yard signs today. It is storming right now, so if we do not get yours today due to weather, we will get it tomorrow. Thank you everyone!

• Promoted county ordinance to rehabilitate methamphetamine-contaminated homes using science based and owner friendly policies. This county ordinance allows for formerly abandoned properties to be cleaned up and safe for use again.
• Ordinance to allow "windmill" type energy structures on homes in Portage.
• Worked for almost 2 years to update county sanitary code.
• Working with EHAC to find ways to educate community that phosphorous based fertilizer is not needed for regular use.
• Worked with property developers about development, preserving green space and having proper screening from neighbors.
• Working with West Lake regarding cleaning up sites of lake contamination.

Happy Independence Day!

In Portage, the council has done our work and will be voting on the budget soon. It amazes me that the state is again mishandling the budget process and is likely to not have a budget passed by summer break. Both schools and many local townships and cities start their budgets on July 1st. We will not know until October what revenue sharing we will receive. This is a shame.

I ended the day at our daughter’s swim meet. It was nice to see fellow Portage parents as we cheered our kids on.

Other voters recognized my work on the Portage City Council and appreciated what I have done. It has been my honor to serve the citizens of Portage.

I ended the day at a reception where the topic of the night was job growth and helping our state and region to be successful. I spoke with a number of supporters and business owners who agree that the job at hand is difficult, but it can be done by those willing to do the work. I am honored that I have been recognized as one who has worked hard to bring jobs to our region, and I have helped business owners in our community expand to create more jobs. My track record is supportive of job creation, lower taxes and small government.

I attended the Eagle Forum Training and presented on how to get involved in the process. I spoke about being an activist, a party member (of any political party), an elected official. I talked about all the different ways one can impact the process and how important it is for everyone to get involved. I was also recognized for my efforts in bringing transparency to the City of Portage by placing our checkbook online. (You can find in our council agendas).

We also hit doors in Oshtemo and Portage. Again, we had great reception. I enjoy going door to door and meeting with the voters. Their concerns are unanimous: they want job.

I attended the Tea Party Rally where personal liberty and freedom were highlighted. My campaign manager, Brendan Cole spoke and was quoted in the Kalamazoo Gazette: “I’m outraged. This government is spending and spending with no end in sight,” said Brendan Cole, 22, a Western Michigan University senior who spoke during the rally. “Who will be left to pay the bill? My generation?”

We need to pay our bills as we go- the Dave Ramsey way. We cannot fix our current problems and push off payment until some time in the future. That jeopardizes our future, our stability and our national security. Hard decisions do need to made- by people of all parties and affiliations. This is not a “party” thing- it is a “big” thing. We must address our deepening debt now before we can no longer see and end to our problem.

Afterwards, I knocked on doors in Texas Township. The voters- regardless of age- care about JOBS! They embraced my message of jobs, smaller government and lower taxes. We all are feeling the pinch in our budgets. We must make short term sacrifices for long term growth. I ended the day excited about the support I received on the campaign trail.

We had great discussions about job growth and there were many business owners there. Thanks to my hosts Jeff Mohney, Dr. Craig Mohney, Dr. Russell Mohney, Tom Little, Mary Balkema and Bonnie Landrum.

Happy Early Easter!

I was asked today when I work - I work all day, seven days a week. As a self employed business owner, I must adapt to my clients. And, when you add my civic duties and campaign tasks to the plate, I must work many hours every day to do the job.

When serving you and my clients, I bring enthusiasm, commitment and integrity to the table. I am committed to serving.

I was speaking with a friend the other day, and he commented how well prepared and thoughtful I am when making decisions. He said not everyone brings that to the table- especially in the political arena. That is unfortunate- we should expect every elected official to be ready and prepared before we vote. I work long hours, but I should- I asked for the job. And, I am asking you to vote for me so I can continue serving you in Lansing

The topics are the same you and I are dealing with- our needs and wants- how do we pay for them? Which come first? How do we choose? When talking about a dog, most of the kids said it was a want. One young girl said it was need and when asked why, she replied, “If you have no friends, you need a dog to be your friend.”

We all have different ways of thinking but we all agree that we must have more jobs- and not just any jobs- good jobs. We must create a better environment for jobs to be created. This includes lower taxes, eliminating needless regulations and promoting a job friendly environment. We all want our state to succeed. I am committed to doing the work.

Over the last 7 years, I have fought for transparency. In 2004, our entire agenda packets were placed online for the public to view. In the following years, we had more materials put online, making it easier for the public to find. In 2008, I asked our city manager what he thought about placing our check register online. He loved the idea, and our check register is now included in our agenda packets.

A couple months ago, we were recognized by the Kalamazoo Citizens For Responsible Government as 1 of 2 governmental units as receiving 4 out of 4 stars for transparency. John Gisler, the chair, recognized me for my efforts on transparency. Mayor Pete Strazdas recognized Councilwoman Claudette Reid and me as two people who championed transparency in Portage before we ever held public office.

This is especially meaningful for me, as today I celebrate my 9th wedding anniversary. Shortly after marrying, my husband adopted our son, Tyjon. I had been a single mother, and I worked hard to create a normal, positive life for my son. My husband completed the circle of our family, and with our daughter Samantha (my step-daughter), we are a complete family. I am truly blessed. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through those tough early years and for embracing my husband and daughter into your life.

I also privileged to be able to speak at a Southwest Michigan Tea Party event. Here is a link to the Southwest Michigan Tea Party video of the event. As I keep saying- it is about jobs!

The speaker shared that while the nation’s economy appears to be recovering, Michigan is not. He shared that we must find practical ways to deal with this- tax increases are not going to cut it. I am energized to make a difference for our community!

I got to pick the winning number for the grand prize. It was a lot of fun- although my friends were disappointed I did not pick their number. Thanks Casey for letting me draw the winning ticket!